Alabama

Robert Bryant, a mechanic from Kelso, Tenn., was paid $625,000 to drop his suit alleging he was beaten and falsely arrested by Madison County deputies. "I didn't need the money before they beat me down." (Challen Stephens / cstephens@al.com)

"I feel good about it. But I don't feel good about the criminals still running free."

HUNSTVILLE, Alabama -- The Madison County Sheriff's Department is waiting to see if deputies are indicted by a federal grand jury before determining discipline in the 2012 "revenge beatdown" of Robert Bryant.

Robert Bryant was paid $625,000 to drop his lawsuit against Sheriff Blake Dorning and eight Madison County deputies. But the case is not closed.

The FBI today confirmed it is investigating possible criminal civil rights abuses in the 2012 arrest of Bryant.

"We do have an investigation ongoing," said FBI spokesman Paul Daymond in Birmingham this morning. "The results of that investigation will be turned over to the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division for their review."

Bryant, a mechanic from Tennessee, talked this week about agreeing to accept $625,000 on July 30 to drop the suit alleging deputies stalked him, stopped him, beat him and falsely arrested him in revenge for a barroom scuffle.

Bryant on Wednesday said: "I feel good about it. But I don't feel good about the criminals still running free." He said he won't feel safe until certain deputies are put behind bars. He said he avoids Alabama, but doesn't feel safe at his home in Kelso, Tenn.

Sheriff Blake Dorning issued a statement the day after the large settlement, saying the county insurance company chose to settle the case to avoid a costly legal battle. The three-paragraph statement denied any wrongdoing or responsibility by deputies named in the lawsuit.

"I was kind of appalled that in light of all things that happened he would continue to stand by these officers and suggest $625,000 was for lawyers' fees," said Hank Sherrod, Bryant's attorney, during an interview on Wednesday at his office in Florence.

Crime scene photo of Robert Bryant at Huntsville Hospital following arrest on Aug. 22, 2012. (Photo by Madison County Sheriff's Department)

Sherrod said that Sheriff Blake Dorning has not disciplined his deputies for their role in the case.

"Right now he is leading his deputies to believe they can conduct a revenge beating and the insurance will cover it," said Sherrod.

But Chief Deputy David Jernigan, a former FBI officer hired to the number two spot in the Madison County Sheriff's Department, said on Thursday that the sheriff's department is waiting on the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI.

"There is a current federal criminal civil rights investigation into this matter," said Jernigan on Thursday. He said if the FBI investigation yields evidence indicating a crime, the Department of Justice would convene a grand jury. "We welcome the independent review of this."

He said federal findings could lead to suspension without pay or other discipline.

"Until indictments come down, we're not going to do anything," said Jernigan.

Sherrod this week said the lawyers representing Sheriff Blake Dorning and his eight deputies had called and "begged" to settle to avoid a public trial. Sherrod said no. Then they called and "begged" some more, he said. Sherrod said Madison County paid out $625,000 without taking a single deposition in order to avoid a public trial.

And they agreed to all of his conditions, including no confidentiality agreement.

"This very statement by the sheriff was the one reason we were hesitant to settle," said Sherrod. "Basically, the sheriff whitewashed this."

Started in a pool hall

Bryant says he and Deputy Justin Watson had a run-in at a pool hall in Hazel Green in the summer of 2012. The lawsuit alleged that Bryant said something about a woman accompanying Watson, who was off duty and in plain clothes at the time. The suit alleged Watson grabbed Bryant from behind, Bryant spun around and hit Watson, and then they both fell to the floor in a brief scuffle.

Later in August of 2012, leaving the same pool hall, Bryant was pulled over for an illegal lane change at a dimly lit area near the Tennessee line. In one police account, he growled and leapt from his truck to attack Watson. In another police report, Bryant attacked Watson during a field sobriety test.

But Bryant says Watson wasn't the one who pulled him over. His lawsuit says he was stopped by Deputy Jake Church. Bryant alleges he awoke in handcuffs to being kicked and pummeled by a number of deputies.

The Madison County Sheriff's Department and the county attorney have declined past invitations to allow the deputies to share their version of events.

Bryant was charged with a felony for assaulting an officer. He was not intoxicated and there were no traffic citations. Madison County dropped all charges against Bryant more than a year later in November of 2013, just days after Bryant's benefactor turned up dead.

"I didn't need the money before they beat me down," said Bryant, later adding: "I lost a friend who helped me put the lawyers together."

Jason Klonowski

Klonowski, who had long ago started a courier company, secured lawyers for Bryant, printed up "Support Robert Bryant" t-shirts and yard signs, built a stage on his property, held a rally and publicly promised to see deputies placed in prison. Klonowski was found shot in the head in his front yard in early November 2013, one month after the rally.

Bryant and Klonowski's neighbor say a death threat was tacked to the stage warning Klonowski not to hold the rally. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation took over the homicide investigation in November, and the FBI last winter confirmed they were assisting.

Bryant and Sherrod recounted going for mediation in Madison County. Sherrod drove to Tennessee to pick up Bryant, who refuses to drive alone in Alabama. Bryant left his truck at a gas station on the Tennessee side of the state line.

When they returned, two Madison County deputies were waiting near his truck in Tennessee. "It's probably a coincidence, maybe not," said Sherrod.

"I hate it for the people of Madison County," said Bryant. "I would not feel safe there."